Information transmission and processing systems and methods for freight carriers

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems for remotely monitoring trailer or trailers attached to a vehicle is provided. The method includes associating an identification tag or ABS ECU that is configured to broadcast a trailer identification signal with a trailer. The method further includes receiving the trailer identification signal on-board the vehicle, associating the trailer identification signal with the vehicle, transmitting the trailer identification signal to a remote processor and receiving the trailer identification signal at the remote processor. The system comprises a mobile data terminal capable of generating and responding to telematic events comprising at least one processor, a graphical user interface, an input device, a memory and a set of executable instructions which may include a plurality of modules, such as a vehicle location module capable of receiving a GPS signal and transmitting the GPS signal to a remote processor for determining a location of a transportation unit.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/338,577 filed Dec. 28, 2011, which is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/177,946 filed Jul. 23, 2008 and claims thebenefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/951,372, filed Jul. 23,2007. The entire disclosure of which are hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to document transmission andprocessing systems for freight carriers, and in one embodiment to suchsystems and methods having document type detection, driver prompting,scan quality determination, automated access of metadata, and automatedtracking of trailers and dollies.

BACKGROUND

The shipping industry consists primarily of three types of carriers,each offering services that satisfy different customer needs. There aresmall package carriers like Federal Express, United Parcel Service andothers who pick up small packages, consolidate these packages into largeloads, move them close to their destination point and then deliver thepackages. At the opposite end of the shipping business are the largecustomers which fill entire trucks or trailer loads and are consideredto be truck load shippers. The category in between the truck loadshippers and the small package shippers are less-than-truckload (LTL)carriers. Similar to the UPS driver who collects and delivers many smallpackages during a business day, the less-than-truckload (LTL) carrierpicks up freight from upwards of 20 different customers. This freight istypically destined to many different locations around the country. Thefreight is brought back to a terminal where the shipments are unloadedfrom the truck, consolidated with other freight moving in the samedirection and then reloaded on delivery trucks. The freight is sortedand consolidated into truck loads at the terminal to minimize the emptyspace on the truck that will transport the freight from the localterminal to either a local delivery or a distribution terminal inanother city or state. At the distribution terminal the truck will beunloaded and its freight restored and reconsolidated for delivery tocustomers in the local area around the distribution terminal or shipmentto another distribution terminal.

Each individual shipment is governed by a separate contract called a“bill of lading.” Often, customers will have their own bill of ladingform that they use for shipping. Thus, over the course of a day a truckdriver may collect many different bill of lading forms, one for eachshipment. Moreover, as the driver drops off shipments, the driver willprovide and generate many delivery receipts. The driver deals with manyother documents as well during the course of the day, including customsdocuments and the like.

As in any business, efficiency and speed are measuring sticks forcustomer service. As an internal matter, as with any other business, thefaster payment is received, the better the cash flow. The speed andefficiency of these processes are what gives a trucking or other carriera competitive edge. Typically, a truck driver will leave the truckterminal in the morning and return in the evening. When he returns hehas a hand full of bill of lading forms and other documents which issubmitted to the corporate office where it is processed by billingclerks using data entry skills. After the information from each bill oflading is entered, the shipping information is transmitted to theloading dock at the terminal so that the freight moving to common pointscan be consolidated and the delivery schedule planned.

The goal of proper load planning is to deliver the freight on time withthe delivery truck leaving the terminal with a full load. Unfortunately,in some typical systems, both the truck used to pick up the freight andthe truck used to deliver the freight are often sitting idle at theterminal while the data entry and load planning functions are beingperformed. Additionally, in these systems, because the freight typicallycomes in one truck at a time the loading dock may not know in advance ofthe trucks' arrival at the terminal or the contents and the destinationof the freight picked up on a given day. Consequently, a delivery truckwill often depart the terminal only partially loaded. Many of thesepartially loaded trucks could have been fully loaded had the loadplanner known about unscheduled freight that had been picked up andwould soon arrive at the terminal. This movement of freight as partialalso results in decreased efficiency, increased costs and reducedprofits for the trucking company.

While some systems have the ability to scan and transmit documents,improvements are desired. For example, some systems require manual entryof the type of document and association of data therewith. Moreover,typical systems cannot assist the driver in making sure all data isprovided or that documents are scanned correctly. Moreover, some systemscan scan and transmit images but association of data corresponding tothe images requires significant manual effort. Moreover, such systems donot typically track or provide information regarding the trailer ordolly assets being transported. Accordingly, improvements in theefficiency and capability of document transmission and processingsystems for freight carriers are desired.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, method of remotely monitoring trailer ortrailers attached to a vehicle is provided. The method includesassociating an identification tag that is configured to broadcast atrailer identification signal with a trailer. The method furtherincludes receiving the trailer identification signal on-board thevehicle, associating the trailer identification signal with the vehicle,transmitting the trailer identification signal to a remote processor andreceiving the trailer identification signal at the remote processor. Themethod may be effectuated through use of a mobile data terminal.

According to another embodiment, a method of remotely monitoring atleast one trailer attached to a vehicle utilizing an ABS electroniccontrol unit is also provided. The method includes establishing acommunication with an ABS electronic control unit located on the atleast one trailer, receiving the ABS identification number from the ABSelectronic control unit, associating the ABS identification number withthe at least one trailer, transmitting the ABS identification number toa remote processor, and receiving the ABS identification number at theremote processor. The method may be effectuated through use of a mobiledata terminal.

According to yet another embodiment, a method of dynamically generatingtelematic events in a transportation operation comprising at least onevehicle hooked to at least one trailer and a remote processor isprovided. A geofence surrounding at least one point of interest isdefined. A vehicle location signal is transmitted from a vehicle to aremote processor that receives the signal. The method further includesdetermining whether the vehicle location is within the geofencesurrounding the point of interest and accessing information associatedwith the point of interest. An event is generated based at least in partupon the physical location of the vehicle and the information associatedwith the point of interest.

According to yet another embodiment, a mobile data terminal capable ofgenerating and responding to telematic events is provided. The mobiledata terminal includes at least one processor, a graphical userinterface, a user input device, a memory and a set of executableinstructions residing on the processor. The set of executableinstructions may include a plurality of modules, such as a vehiclelocation module capable of receiving a global positioning system signaland transmitting the global positioning system signal to a remoteprocessor for determining a location of a transportation unit. Ageofencing module is also included, and is configured to define an areasurrounding a location of interest, dynamically transmit estimated timeof arrival data to a customer when the unit is within the area,automatically announce an arrival of a transportation unit at a point ofinterest and dynamically generate and transmit an advance loadingmanifest to a remote facility when the unit is within the area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the present inventions, it is believed the samewill be better understood from the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a load planning and billing system setupthat may be utilized with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a system forload planning and billing that may be utilized with embodiments of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one embodiment of an informationtransmission and processing system for freight carriers;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary mobile data terminal of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary remote data center of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6A is a block diagram of a load planning and billing system setupthat may be utilized with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6B is a block diagram of a load planning and billing system setupthat may be utilized with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 10 is a photograph of one exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplaryin nature and not intended to be limiting of the inventions defined bythe claims. Moreover, the individual features of the drawings will bemore fully apparent and understood in view of the detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

In general, some embodiments have the ability to detect the type ofshipping document that is being scanned. For example, whether thedocument is a delivery receipt, a bill of lading, a customs document, orthe like, can be automatically determined by the software on the mobiledata terminal or in the remote data center. The shipping document typecan be determined based upon a bar code on the document or specialnotation or marking on the document, by characters in the document(e.g., OCR) or when the document is scanned (e.g., driver had arrived ata delivery stop). In one exemplary embodiment, the context and timing ofwhen the document is scanned could be utilized to provide informationabout the document's type. If the driver's route is known and he isarriving/departing at stops and documents are scanned at the stop beforedeparting information can be inferred. For instance if the driver hasarrived at a customer and is scheduled to deliver two shipments and thendocuments are scanned before he departs it is likely they are DeliveryReceipts. However if the driver also picked up a shipment while makingthe deliveries one of the documents being scanned could be a bill oflading. While this approach is not foolproof, it can provide aneffective option as part of an overall solution.

Then, based upon the document type, the document can be routed to theappropriate software/server and, depending on the type of document, thedriver can be requested to enter additional information about thedocument. For example, if the document is detected as a deliveryreceipt, the driver can be immediately prompted to acknowledge whetherthe shipment was damaged or was missing items, or whether the liftgatewas used. As another example if the document was detected as a bill oflading, the driver could be immediately prompted to enter the number ofhandling units, the weight, and the destination zip code, whether thereis any hazardous material, and whether the liftgate was utilized.Additionally, codes on the document can be automatically detected andthe page number of the document can be determined. Thus, it can beautomatically determined when a new shipping document starts, and whenwhat is being scanned is for a different shipment. As one alternative, agraphical user interface, or keys, can be provided to allow the driverto indicate when a new document starts/stops and what document type ispresent.

The method and systems of the illustrated embodiments of the presentinvention provide one or more of the following advantages:identification of the driver of the tractor; tractor identification andassociated information of the tractor (i.e., location, tire pressure,maintenance, communication, and/or emergency/collision notification);the trailer identification and associated information of the trailer(i.e., location, tire pressure, maintenance, communication, etc.); dollyidentification and associated information; and unit location, arrivalsand departures.

In one embodiment, the scanner and/or system analyzes the shippingdocument image and determines whether to alert the driver to rescan theimage. For example, the software could determine if the image iswrinkled (e.g., by looking for data that corresponds to a wrinkle or byanalyzing the text), is scanned too light (e.g., >90% brightness) or toodark (e.g., <10% brightness) to be read (by determining the brightnessof the image, or by determining how much text is present in the image).Then, the driver can be immediately alerted to rescan the image suchthat it can be utilized right away by the system (otherwise, the remotedata center would need to wait until the arrival of the hardcopy of theshipping document before processing can begin for it).

In some embodiments, additional document metadata is created andassociated with the shipping document, either at the mobile dataterminal or at the remote data center. The data can be generated basedupon geocoded information. For example, a GPS unit on the truck candetermine the driver location and that location transmitted to theremote data center. Accordingly, when the data center system receivesthe GPS data, it can automatically determine which customer the truck islocated at, can access all data associated with that customer, and canassociate customer data with the images being transmitted. The data caninclude the customer's account number, address, previous history, emailinformation, account status, and the like. The system can thenimmediately begin automated billing of that customer based upon thedocument, can upload the document to that customer's account (for accessby the customer and others), can provide email notifications to thecustomer right away, and can take other immediate actions based upon themetadata. As another example, codes or information from the shippingdocument can be automatically determined (e.g., bar codes, OCR or ICRinformation) to determine which customer the document pertains to, andto then access metadata based upon that information and send or takeactions based upon that metadata. One exemplary example would be wherethe transportation company has issued a range of pro numbers to thecustomer who is then printing pro numbers and labeling the freight. Whenthe transportation company reads the pro number, they can detect that itis assigned to a specific shipper such as Acme with Account NumberACM123 and then associate this data with the shipment to aid inprocessing.

Load plan data, unload manifests, advance loading manifests and the likecan be automatically generated right away, rather than having to waitfor a clerk to review the image and determine what customer it isassociated with and manually enter the data.

In some embodiments, trailers and dollies are fitted with RFID tags orelectronic identifiers such that their location is tracked at all times.Trailers shall mean any load of a vehicle including trailers, dollies,boxcars, etc. Vehicles shall mean any type of transportation vehicleutilized in the shipping and/or delivery business such as tractors,trucks, vans, flatbeds, box trucks and the like. Thus, for example, themobile data terminal can determine what trailer is hooked to the tractorand then can track the miles that the trailer is in use by receivingodometer readings from the tractor and calculating the amount of mileagethe trailer travels. Also, the trailer's location can be determined bythe system at all times, as the mobile data terminal system can transmitdata to the remote data center regarding which trailer is connected tothe tractor. As one alternative, the hitch of the tractor can be fittedwith a sensor or other device to determine which trailer is mated to it.

In March 2001, regulations in the United States were enacted requiringtractor and trailer manufacturers to identify on a driver's dashboardany faults in the anti-lock braking system (ABS) without the use ofadditional cables. One typical method to implement this regulation wasSAEJ2497, also known as PLC4Trucks or more generically PLC Bus. Thismethod allows data to be transmitted over the power line cable connectedbetween the tractor and trailer (PLC-power line communication).

In one exemplary embodiment, a wireless interface/gateway is utilized bythe mobile data terminal (onboard computer) to connect to theJ1708/J1939 bus on the tractor. A PLC Bus to J1708 Adapter (e.g., a PLCBus to J1708 Bus Adapter from Hegemon Electronics) can be utilized toconnect signals from the PLC Bus to the J1708/J1939 Bus. In oneembodiment, programmable ID Tags (such as from Hegemon Electronics orImarda) can be programmed with unique IDs and installed on trailers anddollies. The ID Tag then communicates via the J2497 PLC4Trucks Bus tothe PLC Interface. In another embodiment, the programmable ID Tags maycommunicate to the J1708/J1939 Interface via a wireless communicationlink.

In another exemplary embodiment, the J1708/J1939 interface connectingthe J1708 bus to the mobile data terminal (for example the R&L MobileData Terminal), may comprise additional components and/or functionalitysuch as a wireless communication interface, USB port, serialcommunication port, accelerometer, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)receiver, and GSM data communications.

In some embodiments, the mobile data terminal communicates with theanti-lock braking system (ABS) electronic control units (ECU) of thetractor, trailers and dollies. When a tractor is connected to a traileror dolly, the ABS ECU announce their presence by sending a broadcastmessage on the PLC4Trucks bus. The mobile data terminal in the tractorlistens for these ABS ECU broadcast messages to detect that a trailer ordolly has been hooked to the tractor. The mobile data terminal thencommunicates with the ABS ECU to retrieve the unique ID of the ABS ECUwhich can be cross referenced to the Trailer or Dolly ID Number. Thus,for example, the mobile data terminal can determine what trailer ishooked to the truck and then can track the miles that the trailer is inuse by receiving odometer readings from the tractor and calculating theamount of mileage the trailer travels. Also, the trailer's location canbe determined by the system at all times, using GPS or other technologyas the mobile data terminal can transmit data to a remote data centerregarding which trailer and/or dolly is connected to the trailer.Another exemplary embodiment involves the ABS ECU being programmed withthe trailer or dolly unit number which can be retrieved by the mobiledata terminal eliminating the need to cross reference the unique ABS ECUID (i.e. serial number).

FIG. 1 illustrates a bill of lading transmission and processing systemfor less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers that can be utilized inaccordance with aspects of the present invention. The bill of ladingtransmitting and processing system 10 comprises scanning a documentusing a scanning/input system 20, initiating a document transmissionusing a communication system (transmitter) 30, establishing a connectionusing a communications link 40, receiving a document using acommunications system (receiver) 50, extracting the load planning andbilling information 60 from a transmitted electronic bill of lading ordelivery receipt or other shipping document, transmitting or sharing theload planning information with a load planner or load planning software70, and transmitting or sharing the billing information extracted fromthe electronic bill of lading with a billing or accounting softwarepackage 90. The illustrated system is designed so that a truck driver,while en route, can transmit a bill of lading, delivery receipts orother documents received from a customer to a central processinglocation where the billing and load planning information is extractedand used.

The document scanning/input system 20 can take many different forms. Oneexemplary method and system comprises a portable scanner connected to anotebook computer. This computer is capable of being interfaced with thecommunication system (transmitter) 30 selected by the user.Alternatively, a portable fax machine capable of being either directlyor through an interface circuit connected to a variety of communicationssystems including but not limited to cellular telephones, radio links,satellite communication systems and standard telephone systems. If ascanner connected to a personal computer system is used, the computercan include the appropriate software as well as the appropriatePCMCIA/PC Card/ExpressCard or a built in interface for connection to anyof the above communication systems (transmitter) 30. As an alternativeto using a full notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA)may be utilized if it has the appropriate interface capability betweenthe scanner and the communication system 30 selected. Additionally, ifcustomers agree to use a standard electronic form for a bill of ladingor other shipping document, the form could be given to the driver ondisk and then transmitted directly without the need for scanning. In analternative embodiment, the bill of lading or other shipping documentmay be encoded as a bar code or similar 2D technology and scanned andthen transmitted. Furthermore, a PDA or personal computer could beprogrammed with an electronic form that the customer could fill out andsign while the driver was loading the shipment. After review andverification by the driver, the PDA or computer would then transmit theelectronic form to the communication system. Thus, it can be readilyseen that the document scanning/input system can be produced as a singleunit or may be made up of several independent systems connectedtogether.

The document communication system (transmitter) 30 and documentcommunication system (receiver) 50 are comprised of similar equipment,such that both a transmitting device and a sending device will include acompatible software to interface with one another through transmissionprotocols such as TCP/IP, or any other transmission protocols. Thiscommunications equipment can be a stand alone system or can be providedas part of an integrated package with the document scanning or inputsystem 20. One exemplary embodiment comprises using separate systems sothat the communication systems could be upgraded or changed astechnology and the trucking company requirements change. Examples ofcommunication systems that could easily be used to transmit a signalwhich contains the information from the bill of lading are the followingbroad categories: analogue telephones; digital telephones; highfrequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF), or ultra-high frequency (UHF)radio transmitters; cellular telephone; or satellite communicationsystems; IEEE 802.11 WiFi, IEEE 802.16 WiMAX or other future wirelesscommunication protocols. The distance over which the communications link40 must be reliable will determine which communication system isselected by a specific user. For short distances (line of sight),cellular telephone and VHF/UHF radio links can be utilized. Mediumdistance transmission (line of sight to 100 miles) would typically usecellular telephones if available or HF radio links. HF radio is theleast preferred communication system due to signal propagation problems.Long distance communications could use cellular telephone if availableor satellite communication systems.

In one exemplary embodiment, the system is configured to utilize theleast cost based communication system that is available at the time amessage or data needs to be transmitted. For example, each type ofmessage or data may be assigned a pre-determined maximum communicationcost under which it could be utilized. Based on the importance of themessage or data to be sent, that individual maximum may allow alltechnologies since it is warranted whereas other massages may be queueduntil cellular or other lower cost coverage is obtained or alternativelyuntil a time threshold is reached.

The use of standard or plain old telephone systems (POTS) communicationcircuits could be accessed using an acoustic coupler and a modem so thata standard telephone handset could be utilized. If it is not necessaryto utilize a standard telephone handset, then just a modem with a directconnection to the telephone system would be utilized. To utilize any ofthe HF, VHF or UHF radio systems, a radio frequency modem would berequired to be a part of the communication or communication system 30 or50. To use cellular technology in either an analogue cellular phone or adigital cellular phone, the appropriate cabling and modems would also berequired to be part of the communication systems 30 or 50.

There is a fairly broad spectrum of satellite communication systemspresently available and a host of satellite communication systems thatare being developed or implemented that could be utilized in the future.All of these systems will require the use of some type of radiotransceiver and antenna assembly for communicating between the satelliteand the truck. Depending upon the type of satellite communicationequipment utilized, a radio frequency (RF) modem or some other interfacemay be required to be a part of the communication systems 30, 50 inorder for the digital information generated by the documentscanning/input system 20 to be converted into a radio signal fortransmission to the satellite. Additionally, some trucks already use asatellite communication system to track the vehicle's location andcommunicate with the driver. If such a system is already installed thedocument scanning/input system 20 could interface directly with theinstalled equipment.

Communication link 40 can comprise any system or method of transmittingthe information from the communication system transmitter 30 tocommunication system receiver 50. These systems and methods include: 1)standard phones lines; 2) a combination of radio and telephone circuits,as used in a cellular telephone system; 3) a direct radio circuit, whichwould be employed in a situation using an HF, VHF or UHF radio link; 4)WiFi and/or WiMAX; 5) a combination of VHF or UHF radio link to asatellite with a return VHF, UHF link to a ground station, the groundstation would link to a central processing facility over a telephoneline, alternatively the ground station and telephone line could bereplaced by a second radio link directly to the central processingfacility, depending on how the satellite communication system wasdesigned to be used.

In order to maximize the efficiency of the bill of lading transmissionand processing system, the electronic bill of lading, received at thecentral processing facility for the trucking company is processed toextract the load planning and billing information 60. To extract thisinformation, the electronic bill of lading received by the documentcommunication system 50 would be processed to remove the applicableinformation from the electronic bill of lading and transmit the requiredinformation to either the load planner 70 or to the billing andaccounting software package 90.

One method of extracting load planning and billing information would beto interface the document communication system 50 with a standardpersonal computer using the appropriate modem or interface box. Theelectronic bill of lading would be digitized and then processed with anoptical character recognition (OCR) or intelligent character recognition(ICR) software package. The character based electronic bill of ladingprovided by the OCR program is then used in the load planning andbilling processes. The load planning information would preferably thenbe transmitted to the load planner over a local area network. Thisinformation could be printed and/or displayed at the load planner'sterminal. As an additional time saver the load planning information 70could be transmitted to a computer running on the local area network.This computer would run a load planning software package which would dothe load consolidation and planning automatically.

The billing information extracted would be transmitted or inputted intoa standard billing and accounting software package which couldautomatically invoice the shipper so that there would be a shorter timeperiod between picking up a load and billing the shipper. Additionally,the load planning information extracted could be transmitted or inputinto a load planning software package that could automatically build ashipping and loading plan to minimize partial loads and keep theshipments on time. An additional value of having the load planning andbilling information automatically extracted from the electronic bill oflading is expected that fewer errors in load planning and billing wouldbe made. In practice, this system can range from a fully automatic,electronic, paper less system to one which relies on paper and uses thesystem merely as a transmission device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an alternate embodiment of a system forload planning and billing, similar to that shown in FIG. 1. Inparticular, a document scanning/input system 920, such as one thatincludes a portable scanner for example, is interfaced with thetransmitter 930, which provides the document 910 to the receiver 950 viathe communication link 940.

The electronic bill of lading, received at the central processingfacility for the trucking company by using the receiver 950, can beprocessed to extract the load planning and billing information, totransmit the appropriate information to the load planner, and/or to thebilling and accounting software package. In particular, an extractionprocessor 960 can be provided to extract this information from theelectronic bill of lading. As discussed above, one method of extractingload planning and billing information would be to interface the documentcommunication system 950 with an extraction processor in the form of astandard personal computer using the appropriate modem or interface. Theelectronic bill of lading could be digitized and then processed with anoptical character recognition (OCR) or intelligent character recognition(ICR) software package. The character based electronic bill of ladingprovided by the OCR program can then used in the load planning andbilling processes. A second method of extracting the load planning andbilling information would be for a data entry clerk to view either apaper or electronic copy of the electronic bill of lading and manuallyenter the appropriate data into a computer system for load planning,billing, and accounting. If a computerized load planning system was notutilized, a paper copy of the electronic bill of lading would be printedand given to the load planner. The billing information extracted wouldthen be transmitted or inputted into a standard billing and accountingsoftware package which could automatically invoice the shipper so thatthere would be a shorter time period between picking up a load andbilling the shipper. Additionally, the load planning informationextracted could be transmitted or input into a load planning softwarepackage that could automatically build a shipping and loading plan tominimize partial loads and keep the shipments on time.

The electronic bill of lading, received at the central processingfacility for the trucking company by using the receiver 950, can beprocessed to extract the load planning and billing information, totransmit the appropriate information to the load planner, and/or to thebilling and accounting software package. In particular, an extractionprocessor 960 can be provided to extract this information from theelectronic bill of lading. As discussed above, one method of extractingload planning and billing information would be to interface the documentcommunication system 950 with an extraction processor in the form of astandard personal computer using the appropriate modem or interface. Theelectronic bill of lading could be digitized and then processed with anoptical character recognition (OCR) or intelligent character recognition(ICR) software package. The character based electronic bill of ladingprovided by the OCR program can then be used in the load planning andbilling processes. A second method of extracting the load planning andbilling information would be for a data entry clerk to view either apaper or electronic copy of the electronic bill of lading and manuallyenter the appropriate data into a computer system for load planning,billing, and accounting. If a computerized load planning system was notutilized, a paper copy of the electronic bill of lading would be printedand given to the load planner. The billing information extracted wouldthen be transmitted or inputted into a standard billing and accountingsoftware package which could automatically invoice the shipper so thatthere would be a shorter time period between picking up a load andbilling the shipper. Additionally, the load planning informationextracted could be transmitted or input into a load planning softwarepackage that could automatically build a shipping and loading plan tominimize partial loads and keep the shipments on time.

In one exemplary embodiment, the Internet may be utilized as thecommunication link 964, if desired, for allowing access by customers tothe shipping documents. As an example, the server 962 could comprise aweb server that allows for retrieval of the shipping documents that havebeen remotely transmitted from the driver, and that allows for postingor otherwise providing these shipping documents via a webpage orwebsite. The client devices 966 could comprise computers or handhelddevices that include web browser hardware and software that cancommunicate with the server 962 for accessing the shipping documents.For instance, when the customer connects to the server 962 via theinternet using the client device 966, a web browser running on theclient device 966 could ask the customer to type in the keyword for thedesired document and click on the appropriate button. The web sitesoftware on the server 962 could then receive the request and connect toan Imaging database where the shipping documents are stored. The serversoftware could then perform a query for that document keyword. Once thedocument is found, it can then be copied to the web server 962 andconverted to JPEG, or another suitable format, and displayed to the uservia the web connection 964 and the web browser software on the client966. The software running on the client 966 may allow the user to zoomin or out, rotate, save a document, or view another document.

Additional details regarding systems with which embodiments of thepresent invention can be used can be found in U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 20020103728, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,078, the entiredisclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an illustrative embodiment where a tractor100 is connected to a trailer 101, dolly 103, and trailer 105 and is incommunication with a freight company facility building 120 via awireless communication channel 119, such as described above. The tractor100 includes a mobile data terminal 102. As illustrated in FIG. 4, themobile data terminal 102 may include a number of in cab softwareapplications, including a city dispatch application 114, a shipmentmanagement application 116, a line haul dispatch application 115, adriver log application 107, a tax reporting application 108, and avehicle inspection 109 and trip reporting application 110.

The City Dispatch Application 114 tracks shipment deliveries andpickups. The City Dispatch Application running on the Mobile DataTerminal 102 provides the driver with visibility to his delivery andpickup assignments. It can validate that the driver has selected theproper tractor and trailer by comparing equipment ids electronicallywith what was assigned to the driver for his route. In addition itallows communication between the driver and dispatch or terminal staff.It can provide directions to get to a specific destination taking intoaccount current driver location.

The City Dispatch Application 114 tracks shipment deliveries andpickups. The City Dispatch Application running on the Mobile DataTerminal 102 provides the driver with visibility to his delivery andpickup assignments. It can validate that the driver has selected theproper tractor and trailer by comparing equipment IDs electronicallywith what was assigned to the driver for his route. In addition itallows communication between the driver and dispatch or terminal staff.It can provide directions to get to a specific destination taking intoaccount current driver location.

The Shipment Management Application 116 tracks and manages allshipments. When a shipment is delivered the shipment managementapplication will capture the event and provide a current order status.When a shipment is picked up it can capture shipment information toprovide immediate visibility to operations personnel.

The Driver Log Application 107 allows the driver to prepare driver logdocumentation electronically to streamline processing and comply withgovernment regulations. The Driver Log Application 107 may be furtherconfigured to comprise a driver compliance module in which sensorsdetect seat belt and lights usage, hard cornering, speeding and thelike. The sensors may also be coupled to the electronic control module(ECM) such that the ECM may provide output signals based on the signalsprovided by the sensors. The Mobile Data Terminal 102 may then providewarnings to a driver when an infraction occurs, or it may reportinfractions to the remote processor.

The Tax Reporting Application 108 tracks vehicle travel capturing milestraveled per state, miles traveled along toll roads or national highwaymiles traveled, for example, to allow reporting of various mileage basedtaxes imposed by government authorities.

The Vehicle Inspection Application 109 is used by the driver to performa structured inspection of the vehicle prior to leaving the terminal andcapture the results electronically. Key inspection points may be codedusing bar codes or other means to allow easy input. Additionally, theVehicle Inspection Application may be configured to utilize sensorsthroughout the vehicle to monitor vehicle performance factors such astire pressure, battery charge, engine temperature and the like. TheMobile Data Terminal may then transmit the performance factors to theremote processor.

The Trip Reporting Application 110 is used by the driver to capturespecifics of their route and capture the results electronically.

The mobile data terminal 102 can include input devices (touchscreen,buttons, wheels, dials, voice recognition) as well one or moreprocessors, I/O interface circuitry, and one or more displays. Forexample, Audio Output possibility to alert driver to messages, turn byturn directions, etc.

In one further embodiment, a tire pressure interface 138 is alsoutilized to maintain and track the tractor tire pressure and to transmitthis to the mobile data terminal 102. Accordingly, the data terminal canprovide warnings and messages when incorrect tire pressure is present.In addition, a GPS unit 155 provides location information to theterminal 102. Additionally, the trailers (101 & 105) and dolly (103) areprovided with ID Tags (e.g. RFID, PLC Interface) which communicate viathe tracking interface 132 to track which assets are attached to thetractor.

Additionally, shared software services 106 reside on the mobile dataterminal 102, and these services can provide text and voice and datacommunications (to communicate wirelessly), GPS and geofencing services(to determine the location of the tractor 100 and to provide informationaccording to that location), in the field over the air firmware updateservices (to update the unit 102), engine control module integrationservices (to integrate with information from the vehicles engine controlmodule), and peripheral integration services (to allow the unit tointerface with devices such as scanners, printers 189, memory cards,door sensors and the like).

A document scanner, imager or camera 180, is incorporated in the systemto scan the shipping documents, such as a the bills of lading, deliveryreceipts, and customs paperwork. The scanner 180 works with theprocessing hardware and software in the mobile data terminal unit 102 torender an image of the document, such as via document scanning orimaging techniques. In a further embodiment, a bar code reader 187 isincorporated into the mobile data terminal 102 or in communication withthe mobile data terminal 102. The bar code reader 187 allows the driverto scan labels or stickers on shipments and associated documents such aspro numbers as to further enhance the tracking of each individual unitof a shipment that is loaded onto the trailer. An ECM 130 providesinformation about the engine and the vehicle to the mobile data terminal102. The trailer 101, dolly 103 and trailer 105 each include assettracking ID hardware and software to allow the mobile data terminal 102to realize what is attached to the tractor 100 and to record informationabout those assets, such as how far they have traveled, and theirconditions.

The freight company facility 120 includes a data center 122 and amanagement console 129 for wireless communication with the terminal 102and other terminals of other tractors in the field. The data center maycomprise one or more software services such as tax reporting, driverlogs, trip reporting, and enterprise asset management, and city dispatchand line haul dispatch software services. as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The Tax Reporting Application 208 utilizes the data captured by theapplication running on mobile data terminal combined with data from fuelmanagement systems in use at the terminal that track fuel disbursementsalong with on the road fuel purchases to prepare compliant mile and fuelbased reports for submission to the appropriate government authority.

The Driver Logs Application 207 utilizes the data captured by theapplication running on the mobile data terminal to track driver status.Terminal staff can monitor compliance with Hours of Service regulationsin an exception based manner.

The Trip Reporting Application 210 consolidates and makes available thedata entered by the driver in an electronic manner to terminal staff.

The Enterprise Asset Management Application 220 uses data captured bythe Mobile Data Terminal to automate tracking of transportation units,which may include tractors, dollies and trailers, for example. Theseupdates are based upon using GPS data and geofences to detect when unitsenter and leave points of interest. Points of interest may include, butare not limited to, terminals, slip points, customers, routes andwaypoints. In addition mileage for tractors, dollies and trailers can beupdated using data from the ECM interface 130. The ECM Interface 130 canalso provide engine fault code information to allow earlier detection ofproblems and predictive maintenance.

The City Dispatch Application 214 allows terminal staff to plan deliveryand pickup routes, dispatch drivers on a route with specific equipment,capture customer shipment pickup requests, communicate delivery andpickup assignments to drivers via the mobile data terminal, track driverprogress, calculate estimated time of delivery or pickup and communicatewith the driver.

The Line Haul Dispatch Application 215 allows terminal staff to manageline haul schedules, dispatch drivers on a line haul route with specificequipment, and communicate with the driver.

Another exemplary system of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.6A. In this exemplary embodiment, the mobile data terminal 102 includesa driver identification device such as an ID Badge reader 702. Inaddition, the mobile data terminal 102 includes a microphone and speaker704 to provide audio feedback and communication with the driver and aGPS module 706 to provide geofencing and location/speed relatedfunctions.

The mobile data system 102 is connected to an Engine control module(ECM) gateway 710. This connection may be via wired or wirelesscommunication, such as Bluetooth 712 or any other communicationmethod/technology. Exemplary wireless connections include RF, Bluetooth,802.1x and other wireless protocols. Exemplary wired connections includeRS232 Serial and USB protocols. The ECM Interface 710 consists of both aJ1708/J1939 Interface 717 and a J2497 PLC4Trucks Interface 715. The ECMInterface 710 may comprise one or multiple devices. The ECM Interface710 may be capable of communicating via the J1708 protocol or the J1939protocol. The ECM Interface 710 (commercially available from Imarda(V300)) provides the mobile data system 102 a native interface to boththe J1708/J1939 ECM Bus 716 and the J2497 PLC4Trucks Bus 714.

In another embodiment (FIG. 6B), the PLC4Trucks Bus 714 may notcommunicate directly with the ECM Interface 710, instead leveraging theintegration between the Tractor ABS Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 747and Engine ECM. This allows the Mobile Data Terminal 102 to indirectlycommunicate with the PLC4Trucks Bus 714 via the J1708/J1939 Bus 716. Oneexemplary Tractor ABS ECU 747 of the particular embodiment is the WABCOABS tractor unit ‘TYPE-E’. For example, when connected to a WABCO EasyStop Trailer ABS module, a unique identifier on the Trailer/Dolly ABSController can be used to infer the trailer ID. Typically, any tractorwith such an ABS system naturally acts as a gateway between the tractorand the trailers and dollies. For tractors that do not come so equipped,another exemplary PLC4Trucks Interface 747 is the Hegemon PLC Readerwhich is a J2497 to J1708 Protocol converter.

The J2497 PLC4Trucks Bus 714 is typically utilized to provide Power LineCommunications to various devices on the tractor, trailers and dollies.In one exemplary embodiment, a tractor/dolly ID tag 718 is connected tothe PLC4Trucks Bus and provides a unique ID for the correspondingequipment. In another embodiment, the ABS controller 720 is utilized asdisclosed further herein to generate a unique ID specific to thecorresponding equipment.

The mobile data terminal 102 is configured to communicate with a remoteserver 750 in a data center. This communication can be via both wiredand wireless technologies as described further herein. The remote servermay be in communication with one or more additional servers and/orsystems 780.

The trailer and dolly tracking subsystem detects when a dolly or trailerhas been attached or detached to the tractor. This may utilize wirelessor wired communication. Wired communication provides instantconfirmation that the trailer or dolly has been attached while wirelessmay require additional processing to confirm due to nearby trailers ordollies being detected even though they are not attached. The trailerand dolly tracking subsystem can then generate an event to the MobileData Terminal 102 signifying that a trailer or dolly has been attached.The mobile data terminal 102 can then use an interface to capturecurrent tractor mileage and location and then communicate it to theremote server and/or enterprise asset management system to updateequipment status. When the trailer and dolly tracking subsystem detectsthat the equipment has been unhooked it can capture current tractormileage and location. By comparing current mileage and previous mileageit can be determined how many miles the equipment has traveled and theenterprise asset management application can be updated to allowimmediate visibility to equipment in need of preventive maintenance. Inanother embodiment, the ABS ECU may be capable of monitoring odometer ormileage) internally. These embodiments eliminate the need to manuallycapture mileages from equipment at the terminals.

The trailer and dolly tracking subsystem detects when a dolly or trailerhas been attached or detached to the tractor. This may utilize wirelessor wired communication. Wired communication provides instantconfirmation that the trailer or dolly has been attached while wirelessmay require additional processing to confirm due to nearby trailers ordollies being detected even though they are not attached. The trailerand dolly tracking subsystem can then generate an event to the MobileData Terminal 102 signifying that a trailer or dolly has been attached.The mobile data terminal 102 can then use an interface to capturecurrent tractor mileage and location and then communicate it to theremote server and/or enterprise asset management system to updateequipment status. When the trailer and dolly tracking subsystem detectsthat the equipment has been unhooked it can capture current tractormileage and location. By comparing current mileage and previous mileageit can be determined how many miles the equipment has traveled and theenterprise asset management application can be updated to allowimmediate visibility to equipment in need of preventive maintenance. Inanother embodiment, the ABS ECU may be capable of monitoring odometer ormileage internally. These embodiments eliminate the need to manuallycapture mileages from equipment at the terminals.

In one exemplary embodiment, at the time of hookup between the tractor100 and trailer 105 and/or dolly 103, the on-board computer 102 captureskey information to be associated with the hook event such as tractormileage and location. The on-board computer 102 transmits the eventinformation to a remote server 750 at the data center 122. The server750 can then update enterprise systems 780 (such as an enterprise assetmanagement system) with the trailer/dolly hook event providing assetvisibility. In one further embodiment, the server 750 updates a dispatchsystem 780 which records and validates the equipment pairing againstdispatcher out bounding actions.

In one embodiment, the ABS ECUs (812, 813, 814) continue to broadcasttheir presence on a recurring or pre-determined basis. The on-boardcomputer 102 can monitor this broadcast or lack of a broadcast todetermine if there is a missed broadcast. A missed broadcast canindicate that the trailer 105 or 805 or dolly 103 has been unhooked. Theon-board computer 102 can verify by attempting to communicate with theparticular ABS ECU. If the ABS ECU does not respond, then atrailer/dolly unhook event is generated. In one embodiment, at the timeof the unhook event, the on-board computer 102 captures additionalinformation such as tractor mileage and location. This ending mileagecan be compared with the starting mileage to create a “virtual odometer”which is particularly useful for assets that do not have the inherentability to track mileage.

The on-board computer periodically monitors the ABS status signals. Inone exemplary embodiment, if the ABS status signal is not recorded for apredetermined time period, the on-board computer will consider thetrailer potentially unhooked and may initiate a confirmationcommunication sequence. Exemplary time periods range from five secondsto five minutes, one exemplary time period is 25 seconds. If theon-board computer determines that the ABS module is no longer connected,it records associated data (i.e., mileage and location) and this datacan then be transmitted to the remote server.

The unhook event is transmitted to the remote server 750 at the datacenter 122. This can occur immediately or when the tractor reaches adistribution hub. In addition, this transmission may occur synchronouslyor asynchronously. For example, if the mobile data terminal does nothave a communication link available to the remote server (i.e. nocellular service available), the transmission may occur when thecommunication link is reestablished. The server 750 can then updateother enterprise systems 780 (i.e., enterprise asset management system,dispatch system, etc.) with the unhook event information.

The exemplary embodiment utilizing the ABS ECUs eliminates the need toinstall an additional device on each tractor, trailer and dolly to beutilized as a unique ID for tracking purposes (i.e., RFID, etc.). Inaddition, by utilizing existing hardware present on the tractor,trailers and dollies, a significant cost and time savings as well asrapid deployment can be enjoyed. The ABS ECU embodiment also allowsother (i.e., different fleet) equipment (trailers/dollies) to be trackedsince there is no requirement for a fleet specific ID tag.

Another advantage of the present invention is that any device on thetrailer or dolly that utilizes the PLC protocol can communicate with thetractor and the on-board computer (i.e., identification tag, ABS ECU,temperature sensor, tire pressure monitoring system, etc

Another advantage of the present invention is that any device on thetrailer or dolly that utilizes the PLC protocol can communicate with thetractor and the on-board computer (i.e., identification tag, ABS ECU,temperature sensor, tire pressure monitoring system, etc.).

The image is classified in step 500. The image is then routed 510 to oneor more locations and then stored 520, One advantage of classificationof the image is that the image received can be associated with otherimages which are relevant to a particular destination or a particularsearchable characteristic (e.g. type of item, model of product, and thelike). For example, if transportation vehicles 1 and 2 each receivedocumentation pertaining to packages received while the drivers areperforming deliveries, and both vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 are arriving ata loading/unloading destination, the images from each of thesetransportation vehicles would be associated together by a classificationmeans. In a common scenario, this classification means might use the barcode on the images to identify the trucks sending the images and then tostore the images in a directory associated with the destination of thesetwo transportation vehicles. The items or packages might also beclassified as to the type of product, color, model number, etc., so thatan individual item could be identified and (for example) redirected toan alternate destination while en route. Once the loading informationfrom these images are appropriately extracted or manually keyed fromthese images, the information is passed to a load planning softwarepackage for generation of an advance loading manifest.

In other exemplary embodiments, some if not all of the processingoutlined in FIG. 8 may also occur on the Mobile Data Terminal 102. Imageenhancement, Bar Code Detection, Optical Character Recognition (OCR),Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR).

In one exemplary embodiment, the enhancement step 460 may beprogrammatically enhanced by commercially available software, such asInputAccel™ from EMC Captiva, to provide for better image quality byperforming operations such as despeckling, cropping, and improving imagebrightness. Improved image quality will permit more accurate automaticprocessing and/or manual keying of the information included on theimage.

In one exemplary embodiment, the enhancement step 460 may beprogrammatically enhanced by commercially available software, such asINPUTACCEL™ from EMC Captiva, to provide for better image quality byperforming operations such as despeckling, cropping, and improving imagebrightness. Improved image quality will permit more accurate automaticprocessing and/or manual keying of the information included on theimage.

INPUTACCEL™ also performs work flow processing of the image bymonitoring directories contained on the computing device and identifyingimages when the images become available in the directories. For example,types of images can be identified by the image file name extension andautomatic operations can be performed on the images based on thedirectory in which they appear and their file names. In this way, theimages are programmatically processed upon receipt by the remoteprocessor and the load planning information associated therewith isdynamically available when an advance loading manifest is requested.This automation reduces the amount of personnel required to processloading documentation, reduces errors associated with manual processing,and substantially increases the efficiency of generating advance loadingmanifest.

In another exemplary embodiment, the date and time of when the documentis scanned can be used as a proxy for the actual pickup or delivery timeof the shipment. This provide additional data of interest to both thecustomer and operations without the need for data entry.

In another exemplary embodiment, the date and time of when the documentis scanned can be used as a proxy for the actual pickup or delivery timeof the shipment. This provides additional data of interest to both thecustomer and operations without the need for data entry.

In one exemplary embodiment, prior to sending the compresseddocumentation, the software logic break the documentation into smallerunits, or packets. These packets will generally be numbered and thetotal number of packets recorded as part of the processing. This willpermit the computing device used by the driver, to reliably transmit toa remote processing center's computing device. Busting the documentationinto smaller packets, which are then sent in Step 810, will alsodecrease the expense associated with transmitting the documentationshould an error in transmission occur, such as loss of communicationwith a cell tower after 50% of the documentation was sent. Particularly,if an error is encountered, both the computing device used by the driverand the remote processing's computing device will know what packets havebeen received and what still needs to be received by the remoteprocessor. Initially, the transmission device of the driver's computingdevice makes contact with the remote processing center's computingdevice and transmits the total number of packets which are to be sent.As each packet is received, the packet's number is recorded by both thereceiving computing device and the sending computing device. With thisinformation, error recovery with failed transmissions can be readilyresolved.

In one exemplary embodiment, prior to sending the compresseddocumentation, the software logic breaks the documentation into smallerunits, or packets. These packets will generally be numbered and thetotal number of packets recorded as part of the processing. This willpermit the computing device used by the driver, to reliably transmit toa remote processing center's computing device. Busting the documentationinto smaller packets, which are then sent in Step 810, will alsodecrease the expense associated with transmitting the documentationshould an error in transmission occur, such as loss of communicationwith a cell tower after 50% of the documentation was sent. Particularly,if an error is encountered, both the computing device used by the driverand the remote processing's computing device will know what packets havebeen received and what still needs to be received by the remoteprocessor. Initially, the transmission device of the driver's computingdevice makes contact with the remote processing center's computingdevice and transmits the total number of packets which are to be sent.As each packet is received, the packet's number is recorded by both thereceiving computing device and the sending computing device. With thisinformation, error recovery with failed transmissions can be readilyresolved.

Thereafter, load plans for a destination, which may include interim andfinal destinations for a package, can be dynamically preformatted andmanipulated by using a computing device to request from the remoteprocessing center's computing device an advance loading manifest.Advance loading manifests, are documents generated by the load planningsoftware discussed above. These documents provide instructions toworkers at a destination, informing the workers that a particularpackage or item needs to be placed on a particular truck for furthershipment at a particular time. Since, the load planning software isreceiving documentation regarding the packages dynamically throughoutdelivery day, whenever the load planning software is requested togenerate an advance loading manifest, the loading efficiency of thetrucks is fully maximized, at that point in time. As will be understood,the inventive system enables dynamic routing of items and packages asthey are en route. Optimization of transportation resources, businesscycles and delivery times can thereby be accomplished on a dynamic andreal time basis, and shipments can be redirected to accommodate changingconditions and needs of customers, vehicles and extraneous factors(e.g., weather and traffic).

When an advance loading manifest is requested, the remote processingcenter's computing device, utilizing a software logic, willprogrammatically request an extract (step 840) of all documentationrelevant to generating an advance loading manifest for a requestingdestination. These sets of documentation are pulled from the computingdevice's storage in step 830 and compared. In step 850, the relevantinformation contained in these sets of documentation such as packageweight, package dimension, package destination, package deliveryrequirements, package current location, etc. are fed to the loadplanning software to produce one or more advance loading manifests.

The generated advance loading manifest can then be transmitted by theremote processing center's computing device to the requestingdestination. While it is contemplated that a single remote processingcenter for at least selected geographic regions, it should be understoodthat the processing center could also be located at a destination orinterim destination, and that any number of processing centers might beutilized to service any particular geographic region. Reception of theadvance loading manifest at the requesting destination may be by anyacceptable electronic means such as facsimile, hand held computingdevices, email, electronic bulletin boards, or direct transmission tothe requesting destination's computing devices such as on a network. Therequesting destinations may then view and use the generated advanceloading manifests (or alternatively access the data to generate theirown manifests) to optimize truck loading.

In one exemplary embodiment, the system can be modified to incorporateshipper information from a city dispatch application with the scannedImage to enhance the billing process. Geocoded information provided bythe GPS unit can be provided and the account number of the shipper canbe looked up using this information. An alternate implementation cancomprise the Mobile Data Terminal 102 getting information from the citydispatch application to associate with the shipment. For example whenthe driver arrives at the customer location (Example—Acme Inc.) he may“arrive” himself at the stop using the city dispatch application 114which communicates that he has arrived at Acme Inc. The imagingapplication can query the city dispatch application for current locationand attach that information to the document images. It may be possibleto also have an implementation where GPS data and geofences are used toauto arrive a driver at a customer location. In addition the departureof the driver could be captured using ECM data to detect that thevehicle is now moving combined with geofence data.

Accordingly, the account number of the shipper associated with thepickup stop can then be used to provide additional document data to theremote facility. Therefore, not only will the remote facility receivethe document image, it will also automatically know where the truck waslocated at the time that the document was transmitted and also whatcustomer or shipper or consignee resides at that location. Thisinformation can then be utilized for a variety of purposes, such as forinitiating automated billing, sending messages, routing the documentimmediately, and the like. In one embodiment of the present invention,the mobile data terminal 102 can perform a greater amount of imageprocessing before transmitting to the remote processor. For example, barcode recognition, image enhancement, OCR and ICR can be performed on themobile terminal prior to the document being transmitted. This can allowmore context sensitive behavior.

In a further embodiment, the mobile data terminal 102 has the ability todetermine the type of document being scanned. This allows the system todetermine when scanning switches to a different shipment document. Themobile data terminal 102 can utilize information on the image (such as abar code) or that is entered by the driver to determine the documenttype (whether it is a bill of lading, delivery receipt, or customspaperwork). This can then determine how the document is processed andwhether the driver is prompted to provide additional information aboutthe document or to take certain actions. The data terminal can alsoutilize the document information to determine the start of a newdocument and the end of a prior document. In another embodiment, thedriver can enter information to be associated with document image basedupon document type. For example, the driver can be prompted by the dataterminal 102 to provide shipment information (essentially PreIndexingthe Image)—Pro Numbers, number of Handling Units, Weight, DestinationZip Code, whether or not the shipment has hazardous material, etc. Thiscan also allow enhanced revenue capture opportunities by allowing thedriver to enter additional information associated with a shipment suchas inside pickup or residential delivery. In addition service deliveryinformation can be captured. For example, if a Delivery Receipt isscanned, the driver can be prompted to acknowledge if the shipmentdelivered clear (e.g. no overage, shortage, damage). The driver couldalso be asked questions if it is determined that a delivery receipt wasscanned, such as “Did you use your liftgate?” or “Was Inside DeliveryRequired?” If a Bill of Lading is scanned and detected, the driver canbe prompted to enter the number of Handling Units, Weight, DestinationZip Code and if there is any hazardous materials, and whether the driverused the liftgate.

In yet another embodiment, the MDT is capable of handling multiple typesof documents associated with a shipment such as Customs Paperwork,according to one embodiment. This embodiment thus provides routing ofdocuments based upon many different criteria. Metadata other than thebar code may be used for the routing, such as document type. Inparticular, a single shipment can result in multiple documents such asbills of lading and customs paperwork. The document type can be detectedby this embodiment, such as by using intelligent character recognitionor optical character recognition. Characters and words in the documentcan be determined and based upon these characters and words, thesoftware automatically determines the document type, such as bycomparing the characters and words to known characters and words knownto be in certain document types. Then, based upon the document typedetected, the document can be routed to the appropriate location orsoftware utility to handle the document (billing, advance loading,shipment management, city dispatch, line haul dispatch, tax reporting,etc).

For example Bills of Lading can be routed to the billing department toallow timely entry. Delivery receipts may be routed to customer servicefor additional processing. Upon receipt of the image and metadata, theserver at the remote processor can pull out the metadata, and store theimage in a database. The metadata can be used to control how thedocument is processed, such as described herein. GPS coordinates in thedata can be matched to known and stored customer coordinates (within atolerance or geofence) and the customer with who the document isassociated can then be determined. Accordingly, the document can bestored in the appropriate database and routing of the document andprocessing of the information can then occur. Appropriate messages canbe sent to the customer or others based upon instructions associatedwith that customer's file regarding what actions are to be taken fordocuments received related to that customer. A bill can be automaticallygenerated and sent to the customer, and advance loading manifests can begenerated based upon the type of package picked up, where it is to bedelivered, and the expected time of arrival of the truck back to theterminal. The GPS data also provides a log of where the driver has beenand the driver's route and current location at all times. A freightcosting software system can then use this information in calculating theshipment cost. The driver can also take a picture of the freight at anyevent (i.e., pickup, delivery, transportation, etc.), so that thecondition and/or nature of the freight can be recorded. The picture canbe wirelessly transmitted and stored as well to allow customer serviceand the claims department to have immediate visibility to the matter.

Embodiments can also provide unload manifest generation and cycle timereduction, such that an unload manifest may be generated before thetruck arrives back at the terminal. Embodiments may also providecustomers with access/notification of Estimated Time of Delivery,access/notification of Estimated Time of Pickup, and dispatchersvisibility to potential to miss customer close times, scheduledappointment times, etc to allow exception based management. Also,embodiments can provide ability for the remote site/facility todetermine that an image needs to be rescanned and then triggernotification to the driver to rescan the document.

Additionally, embodiments can provide immediate access to packageinformation for Unload Manifest preparation and line haul planning thusminimizing the cycle time from when driver arrives at terminal and whenthe trailer can be unloaded and the freight routed appropriately. Byminimizing data entry, quicker access to both trailer unload manifestand load plan data is provided.

Some embodiments can provide improved Mounting of the MDT unit, as wellas more ergonomic mounting for ease of use. In particular, a universalMounting Capability is provided in these embodiments to accommodateheterogeneous fleet. The mounting device has a telescoping stand and anattached swiveling universal mounting plate which can accommodate andsupport the mobile date terminal. A photograph showing one embodiment ofthis universal mounting system is illustrated in FIG. 10.

In some embodiments, ability is provided to label all handling units ofa shipment. Accordingly, if a shipment has three units (boxes, palletsand the like) associated with it, each unit is labeled with a uniqueidentifier that indicates that it is part of the same shipment but thatalso it is its own unique piece. This may be performed using preprinted,uniquely indexed bar code labels or dynamically generating labels ondemand. If labels are dynamically generated they may contain shipmentspecific information to allow immediate access without the need to viewshipping documents.

In some embodiments, the system is utilized to process deliveryreceipts. Accordingly, the system of FIG. 1 can be used for deliveryreceipts in some embodiments. In these embodiments, the delivery receiptis scanned in and transmitted and the proof of delivery information isextracted from the document. The proof of delivery information is thensent to an order management system which then updates the status of theshipment as delivered. The time and date that the delivery receipt wasscanned is used as the actual delivery date and time. The signeddelivery receipt document image can be made available online to allowcustomers immediate access to the shipment proof of delivery and accessto who signed for the shipment. Automatic notifications can be sentbased upon the status of the shipment being changed to delivered.

In such embodiments, document type detection capability can be provided.Accordingly, in these embodiments, the delivery information is capturedfrom the delivery receipt, such as through OCR or ICR recognition. Thesoftware then determines that the document is a delivery receipt, suchas by comparison of the text to known or expected delivery receipt textor by comparison of the image to known delivery receipt images. Then,based upon determination that the document is a delivery receipt, thedocument can be routed accordingly, and the delivery informationextracted from the document.

In some embodiments, the remote processor can receive the deliveryreceipt and can be provided with OCR or ICR capability to then extractinformation from the delivery receipt and process the informationaccordingly.

The delivery receipt information can then be provided to customers.Thus, in these embodiments, the system provides immediate access topackage/shipment proof of delivery (POD), and enables the customer toaccess to proof of delivery for a package/shipment immediately afterdelivered.

Accordingly, one or more of the following may be provided by at leastsome embodiments:

-   -   Improved Asset Visibility and Management        -   Equipment location and status        -   Equipment mileage        -   Equipment condition    -   Real-Time Visibility to shipment status at all times (enable        Real-Time Enterprise)        -   Reduce Cycle Times        -   Enable Management by Exception        -   Allow calculating ETAs    -   Enable detailed package/shipment tracking and tracing    -   Improved Operational Visibility    -   Provide visibility to actual Terminal Arrival & Terminal        Departure times    -   Capture detailed information required for accurate freight        costing    -   Streamlined Communications        -   Minimize need for verbal communication between dispatch and            driver    -   Replace need for separate radios to communicate with        dispatch/terminal    -   Leveraging Document Imaging capabilities to enhance operations        execution systems (City Dispatch, Line Haul Dispatch)    -   Adaptive Behavior—Mobile Data Terminal (MDT)        -   Enhance MDT to automatically time synch upon power up to            ensure accurate event timing        -   Enhance MDT to optimize Scanner for scanning documents with            specific properties    -   Larger Display    -   Improved Scanning

As can be understood the functionalities of the systems, methods,models, and algorithms described herein can be implemented usingsoftware, firmware, and/or associated hardware circuitry for carryingout the desired task. For instance, the various functionalitiesdescribed can be programmed as a series of instructions, code, orcommands using general purpose or special purpose programming languages,and can be executed on one or more general purpose or special purposecomputers, controllers, processors or other control circuitry.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to beexhaustive nor to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent tothose skilled in the art in light of the above teaching. Accordingly, itis intended to embrace all alternatives, modifications, and variationsthat fall within the spirit and broad scope the amended claims.

1. A method of remotely monitoring at least one trailer attached to avehicle comprising: associating an identification tag with the trailer,wherein the identification tag is configured to broadcast a traileridentification signal; receiving the trailer identification signalon-board the vehicle; associating the trailer identification signal withthe vehicle; requesting the trailer identification signal and trailerinformation from the vehicle by a remote processor, wherein the trailerinformation comprises at least one of a trailer mileage, a trailerlocation, a date and a time; transmitting the trailer identificationsignal and the trailer information to the remote processor; andgenerating a hook or unhook event based at least in part on the traileridentification signal and the trailer information.
 2. The method asclaimed in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises transmitting atrailer location to the remote processor.
 3. The method as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the steps of receiving the trailer identificationsignal, associating the identification signal with the vehicle andtransmitting the trailer identification signal to a remote processor areperformed by a mobile data terminal device positioned within thevehicle.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein: a wiredcommunication link electrically couples the identification tag to themobile data terminal device; and the trailer identification signal isbroadcasted to the mobile data terminal device through the wiredcommunication link by way of parallel or serial communication.
 5. Themethod as claimed in claim 4 wherein the identification tag isconfigured as a programmable power line communication tag attached tothe trailer that communicates with the mobile data terminal device. 6.The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the identification tag isconfigured to wirelessly broadcast at least the trailer identificationsignal to the mobile data terminal device.
 7. The method as claimed inclaim 6 wherein the identification tag communicates directly with themobile data terminal device.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 6 whereinthe identification tag communicates indirectly with the mobile dataterminal device via a vehicle communication bus.
 9. The method asclaimed in claim 8 wherein the communication bus comprises at least oneof a J2497 PLC4Trucks Bus, J1708 bus and J1939 bus.
 10. The method asclaimed in claim 6 wherein the identification tag is configured as anRFID tag attached to the trailer that communicates with the mobile dataterminal device.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the wiredcommunication link comprises at least one of a J2497 PLC4Trucks Bus,J1708 bus and J1939 bus.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 1 whereinthe steps of requesting the trailer identification signal and trailerinformation from the vehicle, receiving the trailer identificationsignal and the trailer information and generating an event are performedby the mobile data terminal.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 1wherein the event comprises receiving a rerouting dispatch signal fromthe remote processor to the mobile data terminal device.
 14. The methodas claimed in claim 1 wherein the event comprises electronically sendingan estimated time of arrival to a customer when the vehicle is within apredetermined distance of a customer.